Ten reasons to visit Mt. Huangshan, the World Heritage Tour in Anhui, China:

1. 
   
   
   
   

   UNECO Certificate 1990

   Climb Mt. Huangshan--representative of China's mountainous scenery.
   
2. Tour China's ancient dwellings, memorial archways and ancestral shrines built after the 14th century.
   
3. Experience the unique charm of the two world heritage sites in China's distinctive style.
   
4. Gain an understanding of the life style of the common people from centuries ago.
   
5. Explore the history of Hui merchants who dominated China commerce for over 400 years.
   
6. See Hui style dwellings, which is one of China's typical residential dwellings.
   
7. Visit the Hongcun Village, the film site of the movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,which won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film.
   
8. Sample the Hui Cuisine, one of the eight famous cuisines in China.
   
9. Purchase stationary used by scholars in ancient China.
   
10. Preserve a beautiful memory of Shangri-La.

Located in the southern part of Anhui Province , Mt Huangshan is best known for its extraordinary aesthetic mountainous features . The main scenic area covers an area of 154 square kilometers and is comprised of numerous peaks of varying heights and grotesque rocks of different formation . Words fail to describe the changeable beauty. Heavenly Capital Peak, Lotus Flower Peak and Bright Summit are all over 1800 meters high The mountain views vary from season to season and change with every moving step. Oddly shaped pines, grotesque rock formations, sea of clouds and hot springs are crowned as "Four Ultimate Beauties".

In 1990, Mt. Huangshan was listed as a"World Cultural and Natural Heritage" by UNESCO. In 1999, it was awarded the Melina Mercour Prize for the protection and management of world cultural relics. ln 2001, China National Tourism Administration recognized Mt. Huangshan as a Grade AAAA scenic area . In 2002 , Mt. Huangshan became the sister mountain to Mt. Jungfrau , another world heritage site located in Switzerland.

[Hot Springs Scenic Area ]
Here one can see One Thousand Feet Spring, Inverted V-shaped Waterfall, Peach Blossom Brook , Sword Testing Rock and Intoxicated Rock . The hot springs water is good for drinking, bathing and is beneficial for good health. The area is linked with Mercy Light Chamber by 1.5KM road , and is further linked with Jade Screen Tower by a cable bridge.

[Jade Screen Tower Scenic Area]

Called " Palace in Heaven", Jade Screen Tower is as high as cloud with Greeting Pine and Farewell Pine standing in front. The three highest peaks , Bright Summit, Lotus Flower Peak and Heavenly Capital Peak are all in view . Heavenly Capital Peak is very dangerously steep . Standing here , one is greeted by a panorama of numerous peaks and rocks half hidden in the clouds.

[Pine Valley Scenic Area]
This area is everlasting green The water and the mountain are in great harmony . Along the brook, you can find Aged Black Dragon Pool , Black Dragon Pool,White Dragon Pool , Jadeite Pool, Elegant Lotus Nunnery and Pine Valley Temple. The inscriptions on the cliff enhance tourists' interests . Listening to the pine soughing during monsoon season is a great attraction to tourists.

[Grand Canyon ]
This newly-developed scenic area allows tourists to linger half way up the cliff i to view is magic world West Sea Scenic Area, Bright Summit, Heaven Sea and White Cloud Scenic Area make a small circle to divert the tourist flow and to allow for better angles to en' fantastic views. Also this is a passage leading to the west gate of the mountain to Three Water Mouth, Hook Bridge Nunnery, Jiaocun
town, and is a quiet and pretty world of its own.

[White Cloud Scenic Area]
It is located west of the mountain and is also called Hook Bridge Nunnery. Along Hook Bridge, Three Water Mouth, Immortal Walking on the Stilts, Buxian Bridge, Stone Bed Peak, Botanical Garden and the center of the Heavenly Sea, there are more than 20 scenic spots in 10 kilometers with an altitude difference of 1000 meters. All these make up a fantastic view.

[North Sea Scenic Area]
This is the center of Huangshan scenic area with many attractions close by such as Cooling Terrace, Monkey Gazing at Sea, Immortals Playing Chess, 18 Arharts Pray to the South Sea, Brush Pen Peak and Dawn Pavilion. Cooling Terrace on the Lion Peak is the best site to enjoy the sunrise and view a sea of clouds. Beginning-to-Believe Peak convinces tourists Mt. Huangshan is the most marvelous mountain in the world. Oddly shaped pines like Black Tiger Pine and Lover's Pine are found mainly in the area.

[West Sea Scenic Area]
In this area you can enjoy Double Bamboo Peak, Sharp Knife Peak, Stone Bed Peak, Upside Turned Boot Rock, Embroidery Girl Rock, Wusong Fighting Tiger Rock. Flying-from-Afar Peak shapes like a peach. The Cloud Dispelling Pavilion is an ideal place to enjoy a sea of clouds, sunset and grotesque rock formations.

Yixian County

Located to the southwest of Mt. Huangshan, Yixian County enjoys a history of over 2000 years. Its green mountains, crystal clear rivers, mild climate , and beautiful scenery make it very attractive. Many well preserved old dwellings left from Ming and Qing dynasties are scattered all over the county. The carvings of wood , stone and brick are widely applied to the doors, windows, beams, brackets and even the wall. Huizhou old dwellings are simple outside and graceful inside with white on the walls and black on the tops. A small but elegant garden is usually attached to these house in the front or backsicle it to make the building and nature blend in great harmony. Of all the villages, Xidi, Hongcun and Nanping are the best known.

Honored as " Living Dwellings Museum", old dwellings in Xidi and Hongcun are listed as world heritages by UNESCO on the 24 '" World Heritage Admission Conference. They are not only witnesses to ancient human civilization but are also a source for studying living environment, architecture, local history, culture and folklore.

Situated to the northeast of Yi County, Hongcun Village, in a shape of an ox, combines mountain village scenery and a waterfront town. The village first established in the Song Dynasty, one thousand years ago, is the settlement of Wang Cian Hongcun claims hundreds of well preserved dwellings of which "Chenzhitang " is the best known. The whole complex,built by a merchant in the Qing Dynasty with brick & wood covers an area of 2000 square meters and is magnificent and elaborate in crafts. The woodcarvings on the crossbeams of fore halls, arches, brackets, floral doors and windows sashes were elaborately created with a great numbers of characters different from each other in complexions and spirits and appraised the superb works of Huizhou style's three carving: wood, brick and stone carvings.

The water system in Hungcun Village imitates the ox's digesting system. The spring water is introduced into village and houses like the intestine of an ox, stopovers in "Half Moon Pond", like one ox stomach, empties itself to "South Lake" like another ox stomach and finally joins a small river. Hongcun was the filming site for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, an Oscar Winner.

Eight kilometers away to the east of Yixian County, Town Xidi, with a history of over 1000 years, is 700 meters from east to west , 300 meters south to north . Left from the Ming and Qing dynasties, 300 old dwellings in the village, of which 124 are still in good condition, form a shape of boat. They fully demonstrate the features of Hui Architecture. Long and narrow alleys, slightly upturned copings, step like gable walls and white washed walls. Most dwellings are decorated with canopies, panels, woodcarvings, brick carvings and stone carvings structured in 3 rooms or quadrangle. Their reasonable layout, skillful structure, beautiful decoration and exquisite crafts help to gain the reputation as "Treasures of Ancient Dwellings".

Located at the southern foot of Mt. Huangshan, the upper reaches of the Xin'an River, Shexian is an ancient cultural county under the jurisdiction of Huangshan City. It was a cultural center during the Sui (581-618) and Tang dynasties, and became a commercial center during the Ming and Qing dynasties. As an ancient cultural center , it gave birth to many cultural schools such as the Xin'an School of painting, the Xin'an School of medicine, the Hui School of architecture, and the Hui School of woodblock painting . The Huizhou Study along with the Dunhuang Study, and the Tibetan Study, are reputed as three local studies in China. Over the centuries, Shexian has given birth to many outstanding figures, including Zhu X i, Jian Jiang , Huang Binhong , and Tao Xingzhi . The area is also famous for three types of ancient constructions : dwellings, archways, and ancestral shrines. The famous scenic spots are Tangyue Memorial Archways, Doushan Street, Xuguo Stone Archy, and Yuliang Dam, etc.

What to buy - Four Treasures of Library

Brush-pen, Ink stick, Paper and Ink Stone are a must for scholars in the ancient China. Four Treasures of Studio in Anhui Province, Hui Ink stick, Xuan Paper, She Inkstone and Xuan Brush Pen enjoy a high reputation in China. With these help, Chinese scholars developed the art of calligraphy and Chinese painting. If you are a Chinese art lover, don't forget to take some of these stuff back home.